Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

176 ST XAVIEU DEATH OF SKK.IEANT. May 1828. that a crust of ice, about the thickness of a dollar, had been formed in all parts of the harbour. The water at our anchorage being fresh at half-tide, was, no doubt, in favour of this rapid congelation. Lieutenant Skyring having completed the exami- nation of the harbour, we left it and steered between St. Xavier Island and the mainland, through a fine bold channel, nearly four miles wide, with a depth of more than thirty fathoms. The land on both sides is closely wooded, and rises into high mountains. About dusk we stood into Port Xavier, a little bight, with a sandy beach, on the eastern side of the island ; and, at a distance of two cables' length from the beach, anchored for the night in seventeen fathoms. " (26th). This sandy beach extended about half a mile be- tween the points of the bay, and, at fifty yards from the water, was bounded by thick woodland, which rose with a rapid ascent to the height of a thousand feet. The trees were like those in the neighboux'hood of Port Otway, and were stout and well- grown. A tree, large enough for a frigate's topmast, might be selected close to the shore. The Winter's-bark tree attains here a greater size than I had before seen. One, which was felled by our wood-cutters, measured eighty-seven feet in length, and was three feet five inches in circumference. All the trees were in full foliage and verdure, though the season corresponded to the lat- ter part of November in our northern latitudes. At the south end of the sandy beach was a stream of fresh water, several yards in width, and various waterfalls descended from the moun- tains. The shore to the southward was composed of fragments of granite, lying at the base of a lead-coloured clay cliff, at least three hundred feet in height. In this cliff" the moiuitain- torrents had formed deep chasms, and strewed the beach with its debris, and with uprooted timber. The only living creatures seen were steamer-ducks, king-fishers, and turkey- buzzards. " While on shore, I received a melancholy message, announ- cing the death of Serjeant Lindsey, of tlie Royal Marines. During the last few days he had sufl^ered from inflammation of the bowels, which brought his existence to a close.